Hail, Caesar! (B or 3/4 stars)
The Coen Brothers' 'Hail, Caesar!' is a quirky love letter to Hollywood in its Golden Era ... the 1950s. The Coens run wild here, dabbling in '50s-style productions which remind cinephiles of Cecile B. DeMille biblical epics, Busby Berkeley sequences, Gene Kelly-inspired musicals, & hokey cowboy flicks. They poke a little fun at an industry that was fighting off the encroaching allure of television. There are good one-liners, some lovingly offbeat moments, however, too much of this film felt like inside baseball and, I think that too many audience members will feel left out in the dark. But I digress.
Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) is the head of Capitol Pictures and 'Hail Caesar!' chronicles one wacko day in his life. Eddie has a lot on his plate (as a studio "fixer"), with one issue, disaster, or catastrophe after another. One of his star actors, Baird Whitlock (George Clooney, enjoyably dim), has been abducted from the set of 'Hail, Caesar!' (a Roman epic) by a gaggle of "Communists"/underpaid screenwriters and ... they are demanding a lofty $100,000 ransom. Star of synchronized swimming extravaganzas/America's Sweetheart DeeAnna Moran (Scarlett Johansson, conveying a bitchy version of Esther Williams) has become pregnant out of wedlock, so a cover story has to be devised to protect her star reputation.
Esteemed - if prissy - film director Laurence Lorenz (Ralph Fiennes) is on the verge of a breakdown after being required by a NY boss to cast cowboy matinee idol Hobie Doyle (Alden Ehrenreich, conveying a Roy Rogers-type) in his latest romantic melodrama. Eddie must decide whether or not to leaves "the circus" & accept a lucrative offer to join Lockheed Martin Aviation {"become part of something serious"}. And if things weren't bad enough, he must fend off twin Gossip columnist sisters Thora & Thessaly Thacker (Tilda Swinton, conveying versions of Hedda Hopper & Louella Parsons), who are badgering Eddie for back lot exclusives.
'Hail, Caesar!' is a hit-&-miss affair. One of the various weaknesses is the absence of a strong narrative. The Coen Bros. are so absorbed by their homage/mimicry of '50s Hollywood that they don't invest a lot of effort in connecting everything & everyone in a cohesive sum. 'Hail, Caesar!' works best when viewed as a series of loosely-related vignettes -- I enjoyed a lot going on up on the screen. It’s fun watching George Clooney do a semi-serious Charlton Heston impersonation and, the fact that he traipses around all film in his Roman soldier costume is a hoot. It's quite humorous watching Ray Fiennes' film director get increasingly exasperated with Alden Ehrenreich's Hobie Doyle when he can't spit-out his dialogue at the correct emotional calibration or cadence -- he messes up time after time.
Best in show for me WAS Alden Ehrenreich, an up-&-coming actor who fit right in with the Coens’ sensibilities. And hey, check out those slick lassoing maneuvers he pulls off. I also loved Channing Tatum, who portrays a Gene Kelly-type in a song-&-dance number titled, "No Dames". We all know that Tatum can move, but I was surprised by his vocal chops, too. I also enjoyed Frances McDormand in her cameo as a film editor who gets her scarf caught in a film reel machine -- funny stuff. So as you can see, I had a relatively good time with these A-list cameos/portrayals/vignettes.
Having said that, those vignettes were not enough for me to feel like I'd just witnessed a substantial Coen Bros. masterwork. They've been better, and will be better again. I already mentioned the lack of narrative strength. I also didn't care for the Communist storyline. George Clooney is great here, but saddled with that subplot; and it ends on an idiotic note concerning a submarine. And I feel like this quirky comedy was made with a select audience in mind ('50's Hollywood studio system nuts) -- frustrated viewers won't 'get' a lot of what's going on. In the end, I was still able to appreciate 'Hail Caesar!' for its fun performances, stunning visuals (Roger Deakins' camerawork, amazing period detail), and how the Coens were able to poke fun at Hollywood, while showcasing their love for it, as well.
Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) is the head of Capitol Pictures and 'Hail Caesar!' chronicles one wacko day in his life. Eddie has a lot on his plate (as a studio "fixer"), with one issue, disaster, or catastrophe after another. One of his star actors, Baird Whitlock (George Clooney, enjoyably dim), has been abducted from the set of 'Hail, Caesar!' (a Roman epic) by a gaggle of "Communists"/underpaid screenwriters and ... they are demanding a lofty $100,000 ransom. Star of synchronized swimming extravaganzas/America's Sweetheart DeeAnna Moran (Scarlett Johansson, conveying a bitchy version of Esther Williams) has become pregnant out of wedlock, so a cover story has to be devised to protect her star reputation.
Esteemed - if prissy - film director Laurence Lorenz (Ralph Fiennes) is on the verge of a breakdown after being required by a NY boss to cast cowboy matinee idol Hobie Doyle (Alden Ehrenreich, conveying a Roy Rogers-type) in his latest romantic melodrama. Eddie must decide whether or not to leaves "the circus" & accept a lucrative offer to join Lockheed Martin Aviation {"become part of something serious"}. And if things weren't bad enough, he must fend off twin Gossip columnist sisters Thora & Thessaly Thacker (Tilda Swinton, conveying versions of Hedda Hopper & Louella Parsons), who are badgering Eddie for back lot exclusives.
'Hail, Caesar!' is a hit-&-miss affair. One of the various weaknesses is the absence of a strong narrative. The Coen Bros. are so absorbed by their homage/mimicry of '50s Hollywood that they don't invest a lot of effort in connecting everything & everyone in a cohesive sum. 'Hail, Caesar!' works best when viewed as a series of loosely-related vignettes -- I enjoyed a lot going on up on the screen. It’s fun watching George Clooney do a semi-serious Charlton Heston impersonation and, the fact that he traipses around all film in his Roman soldier costume is a hoot. It's quite humorous watching Ray Fiennes' film director get increasingly exasperated with Alden Ehrenreich's Hobie Doyle when he can't spit-out his dialogue at the correct emotional calibration or cadence -- he messes up time after time.
Best in show for me WAS Alden Ehrenreich, an up-&-coming actor who fit right in with the Coens’ sensibilities. And hey, check out those slick lassoing maneuvers he pulls off. I also loved Channing Tatum, who portrays a Gene Kelly-type in a song-&-dance number titled, "No Dames". We all know that Tatum can move, but I was surprised by his vocal chops, too. I also enjoyed Frances McDormand in her cameo as a film editor who gets her scarf caught in a film reel machine -- funny stuff. So as you can see, I had a relatively good time with these A-list cameos/portrayals/vignettes.
Having said that, those vignettes were not enough for me to feel like I'd just witnessed a substantial Coen Bros. masterwork. They've been better, and will be better again. I already mentioned the lack of narrative strength. I also didn't care for the Communist storyline. George Clooney is great here, but saddled with that subplot; and it ends on an idiotic note concerning a submarine. And I feel like this quirky comedy was made with a select audience in mind ('50's Hollywood studio system nuts) -- frustrated viewers won't 'get' a lot of what's going on. In the end, I was still able to appreciate 'Hail Caesar!' for its fun performances, stunning visuals (Roger Deakins' camerawork, amazing period detail), and how the Coens were able to poke fun at Hollywood, while showcasing their love for it, as well.